TOP 



Top-Lining, ilie lining fewed on the aft-fide of top-fails, 

 to preferve the fail from the chafing of the top. 



Top-Majl, the fecond divifion of a maft, or that part 

 which ilands between the lower maft and the top-gallant 

 maft. See MAHT-Maiing. 



By a late order in the navy, the blocks at the heels of 

 top-mails (particularly in line-of-battle Ihips) are to be dif- 

 continued, and the top-mafts made from as fmall fticks as 

 poflible : the (heave-hole is to be placed nearer the heel, by 

 which means the feveral quarters will be brought nearer the 

 butt, and the fi:es of the iticks for making of top-mafts dimi- 

 nifhed ; and as feme of the rough fticks will work one way 

 larger than the other in the upper quarters, and thereby in- 

 creafe the circumference of the wood, where ttrcngth is fo 

 rsquifite, leave this additional wood, and make the maft oval : 

 a hoop is to be placed below the ftieave-hole, and above the 

 fid-plate. 



The caps of top-mafts, alfo, are to have a femi-circle cut at 

 the after-pait, with an iron clamp to fit, fo as to admit of 

 getting a top -gallant -maft up abaft the top-maft, if necelFary 

 in chace. 



T.'he heels of jib-booms are alfo to be left fquare, to ferve 

 as fubftitutes for mizen-top-mafts occafionally : and let the 

 hearts be prepared conformable thereto. 



Top-Gallant-Ma/ls, are two, viz. main-top-gallant-mafl, 

 zn6. fore-top-gaUant-maft, which ai-e fmall round pieces of 

 timber, fet on their refpeftive top-mafts; on the top of 

 which mafts are fet the flag-ftaffs, on which the colours, as 

 flags, pendants, &c. hang. 



Top-Neuing is faftened to the rail, fhrouds, and top, to 

 preferve the men from falling, &c. 



Top-Ropr, a rope employed to fway up a top-maft, or 

 top-gallant-maft, in order to fix it in its place, or to lower it 

 in tempeftuous weather, or when it is no longer neceftary. 

 The rope ufed on this occafion for the top-mafts is furniftied 

 with an aflemblage of puUies at its lower end, called the top- 

 tacUe ; the effort of which in erefting the top-muft is commu- 

 nicated from the head of the lower-maft to the foot of the 

 top-maft ; and the upper end of the latter is accordingly 

 guided into, and conveyed up through the holes between the 

 treffel-trees and the cap. For this purpofe, the top-rope, 

 pafCng through a block which is hooked on one fide of the 

 cap, and afterwards through the holes, furniftied with a 

 fheave or pulley, in the lower end of the top-maft, is again 

 brought upwards on the other fide of the maft, where it is at 

 length faftened to an eye-bolt in the cap, which is always on 

 the fide oppofite to the top-block. To the lower end of the 

 top-rope is fixed the top-tackle, the effort of which being 

 tranfmitted to the top-rope, and thence to the heel of the 

 top-maft, ncceffarily lifts the latter upward, parallel to the 

 lower-maft. When the top-maft is raifcd to its proper height, 

 the lower end of it becomes firmly wedged in the fquare 

 hole, between the treffel-trees. A bar of wood or iron, 

 called the Jid, is then thruft through a hole in the heel of it, 

 acrofs the treffel-trees, by which the whole weight of the 

 top-maft is fupported. In the fame manner the top-gallant- 

 T-.aft is erefted, and fixed at the head of the top-maft. 

 Falconer. 



Top-Sail-Lifts. See LiFTS. 



Top-SaHs, and Top-gallant-faih, in a Ship, are thofe be- 

 longing to the top-mafts, and top-gallant-mafts. The 

 former are (Extended acrofs the top-maft by the top-fail-yard 

 above, and by the yard attached to the lower-maft beneath ; 

 being faftened to the former by robands, and to the latter by 

 means of two bi. cks fixed on its extremities, through which 

 the top-fail ftieets are inferted, paffiog from thence to two 

 other blocks fixed on the inner part of the yard, clofe by 



TOP 



the mall ; and from thefc latter the fhecls lead downwards to 

 the deck, where they may be flackened or extended at plea- 

 fure. The top-gallant-fails are expanded above the top-fail- 

 yard in the fame manner. Falconer. See Sail. 



Since the article Sail-making was printed, the following 

 alterations concerning fails have been adopted in the navy : 

 I'iz. top-fails are to be reduced by deduiEling four inches for 

 every three feet in length of the top-maft, inftead of three 

 inches and an eighth, as at prefent. 



Mizeii-top-fails are to be hollowed in the foot a yard 

 and a half, inftead of twenty-feven inches, to prevent rub- 

 bing over the ftay ; and top-gallant-fails are to be hollowed 

 two feet in the foot of the fail, for the above-mentioned 

 purpofe. 



The main-top-maft-ftay-fail is to have fix inches gore in 

 every cloth at the foot of the fail, and long gore at the 

 clue. 



Mizen-courfes are not to be fupplied to any (hips unde- 

 fifty guns, but two drivers in lieu. 



Drfner-booms, as ufed in 1 806, are to be reduced two inches 

 in every yard. The length of the gaff to be in proportion 

 to the fail, and then three feet added thereto, to (hew 

 fignals. 



Drivers are to be cut with a deduftion in length, to 

 anfwer the redudlion in length of the boom and gaff, as 

 above. Drivers for line-of-battle (hips, the leech is to be 

 twice the length of the luff. For frigates, the length of 

 the leech is to be once and two-thirds the depth of the 

 luff 



Jib — The after-leech rope is to be two inches and a half 

 in (hips of the line, and in forty-gun frigates two inches. and 

 a quarter : other fliips above twenty gans two inches, and 

 one inch and three-quarters all under. 



White bolt-rope is to be ufed in making of fails, inftead 

 of the tarred rope at prefent in ufe. 



Single clump-blocks of eight inches in fize are to be 

 ftrap-bound, clue-garnet falhion for feef-tackles in the leech 

 of fails. 



Top-Side, a name given to all that part of a (hip's fide 

 above the main -wales. 



Top-Timbers, the timbers which form the top-fide of a 

 (hip. The firft general tier which reach the top of the fide 

 are called the long top-timbers, and thofe the (hift above 

 are called the fliort top-timbers. 



Top-Timber Half-breadth, a feftion containing one-half of 

 the (hip, at the height of the top-timber line, perpendicular 

 to the plane of elevation. 



Top-Timber Line, is the curve limiting the height of tbe 

 (heer at the given breadth of the top-timbers. 



Top-Timber Sweep, is that which forms the hollow of the 

 top-timber. This hollow is, however, very often forftied 

 by a mould, fo placed as to touch the upper-breadth fweep, 

 and pafs through the point limiting the half-breadth of the 

 top-timber. 



Top-a-Starboard, and Top the Tard-arms. See Topping. 



Top-Bank, fignifies the level of the top of a canal's 

 bank ; as B C I K, Plate I. Canals, jig. I . &c. This is ge- 

 nerally about one foot higher than the furface of the water 

 DK. 



Top-Soiling, the ai't of taking off the vegetable mould 

 or top-foil before a canal is began, to be returned again 

 upon the bank and new-made ground by the fide of it. 



Top-Water is the level line of the water's furface, as 

 D H ( Piute I. Canals, fgs. 14 and 1 5. ) in a canal C F G I. 



Tor-Draining, in yfgriadtiire, a term fometimes applied 

 to the praftice of removing furface-wetnefs from land, 

 either before it is to be prepared, for the feed, or after that 



has 



